How to serve

Volunteer

At Saint Luke’s, we call it LifeWorks – our mission to build ongoing mutual relationships that allow us to work alongside our neighbors. Our goal is to make opportunities more accessible, engaging, and spiritual for all parishioners. We are God’s hands in the world. Try something new and make a difference

Person-to-Person

Person-to-Person, P2Phelps.org , is located on the Saint Luke’s campus as well as Stamford, Norwalk, and their Mobile Food Pantry provides emergency food, clothing, financial assistance, campership and scholarships to individuals and families in need. Middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults of all ages are needed. Opportunities range from weekly shifts to one-time efforts such as food drives. Contact Marie Cartagena.

Community Supper

Open to all parishioners and residents of Darien and surrounding communities, this weekly “dinner for a dollar” serves upwards of 5,700 delicious meals annually and is perfect for building community and fellowship. Cooks (Wednesday or Thursday), set-up, servers and clean-up help (Thursday) are always needed and welcome. Dinners are Thursday evenings from 5-7 PM, mid September through mid May. Contact Fran Principe.

Tag sale

The proceeds from this annual spring event benefit the LifeWorks partners of Saint Luke’s. We collect tag sale donations throughout the year and welcome assistance for set-up and operations. This church-wide effort includes a Service Day and draws in over 150 volunteers. Contact Quay McKeough.

Cuba

Saint Luke’s is committed to helping the Episcopal Church in Cuba. A team of parishioners is working with a companion parish in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. We are sponsoring both youth and adult trips to the island annually. Additionally, we funded and helped construct a water filtration system at the church that is now providing the first reliably fresh water to people of Santa Cruz del Norte.

Separately, other Saint Luke’s parishioners have established an organization called The Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba. This organization works to engage more parishes and communities around the country to support the Episcopal Church in Cuba. They were instrumental in helping to reunite the Cuban Church with the Episcopal Church of the United States.

Homefront

On the first Saturday in May, we assemble a team to participate in a HomeFront project. We help a neighboring homeowner fix up his/her residence, making it safer, warmer, and more attractive. We fix siding, roofs, decks, paint, replace windows, clean up yards, trim trees, and more. If you are 14 or older, please consider setting aside a portion of this day for some hard work, warm camaraderie and a great feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. Contact Wilder Gleason.

Dove boxes

Every year Person-to-Person organizes a special food drive around the Christmas holidays. White paper doves are selected by parishioners who then shop for food, which is packaged and delivered to families who would otherwise go without food during the holidays. Contact Sally Houlihan or Amy Rebbechi.

Pacific House

Pacific House is the homeless men’s shelter on Pacific Street in Stamford. On the first Sunday of each month volunteers cook dinner in the Saint Luke’s kitchen, drive to the shelter and serve dinner to the residents. All men and women are welcome to join in this ministry. Contact Ed Lyons.

Laundry Love

A collaborative effort of four parishes led by Saint Mark’s, New Canaan, Laundry Love assists the homeless and those in need with their laundry. On the first Wednesday afternoon of each month at a laundromat in East Norwalk, we provide fellowship, pizza and free washer/dryer use for those who need it. Contact Fred Elliott.

Future 5

Future 5 connects motivated low-income Stamford high school students with mentors, resources and experience to transition them to college and a career. Through one-to-one coaching, students develop skills and independence.For more information please contact Executive Director, Rachel Dewey, at rdewey@futurefive.org or visit our website at www.futurefive.org

(Rev. Dr.) Donald Thompson is a retired university professor/administrator who taught theology, ethics and religious studies in higher education in Canada. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard and Mc Gill universities. Throughout his career in higher education he has always maintained active involvement in parish ministry, particularly in education and social responsibility.

He and his wife Susan live in Norwalk, where both have been involved in Norwalk Community College. Don has been teaching ethics courses exploring human good, sustainability, awareness and choices in their Lifetime Learners program. He is active in the St. Luke’s seniors thinking group. He assists in the worship life at St. Luke’s when called upon.

Susan Wyper

The Rev. Susan Wyper joined the Saint Luke’s clergy staff as Associate Rector in September, after nine years at St. Matthew’s in Bedford, NY. While serving “across the border,” Susan and her family continued to consider Saint Luke’s their parish home and she is happy to return to the church that raised her family and supported her call to ministry.

Susan holds degrees from Yale University, Middlebury College and Berkeley Divinity School. She and her husband George have lived in Darien since 1987 and been actively involved in the church and wider community. They have three sons, James, Robby & Silas.

Dawn Stegelmann

Dawn Stegelmann has been an Associate Rector at Saint Luke’s since 2015. Serving in a part-time capacity, Dawn leads small groups throughout the year and supports a variety of outreach initiatives and ministries. She loves pastoral care work in all life stages and participating in the worship cycle of the church year. Dawn also is an adjunct professor at General Theological Seminary in New York City where she teaches creative spiritual practices and supervision courses through the Center for Christian Spirituality. Ordained in 2008, Dawn was the Associate Rector of Trinity, Southport for seven years.

Dawn first moved to Darien and joined Saint Luke’s as a parishioner in 1990 with her young and growing family. She was active in many ministries and served on the Vestry and as a Junior Warden before being called to the priesthood. She received her Master of Divinity from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and a Master in Sacred Theology from General Theological Seminary. Dawn is interested in the crossroads of spirituality, neuroscience and psychology. She has three boys who still consider Saint Luke’s their spiritual home.

Daniel Lennox

The Rev. Daniel Lennox is the Associate Rector for Spiritual Formation. Danny and his wife, Abigail (who sings in the choir), their two children, Grete and Des arrived at Saint Luke’s in June, 2015. Danny oversees the spiritual formation of the parish, including working with children, youth and adults in their faith journey. In addition, Danny assists the rector with pastoral care, worship, preaching, and tasks related to parish-building. He holds degrees from McGill, Yale and Boston University, and he has served Episcopal churches in Alexandria, Bedford and Hoboken.

David Anderson

David Anderson began his ministry at Saint Luke’s, coming here fresh out of seminary in 1989 as Associate Rector. In 1992 he left to lead a church in Pennsylvania and returned to Saint Luke’s eleven years later, in 2003, to become Rector. David’s ministry includes leading the clergy, staff and Vestry in pursuing our vision—Grow personally in faith; Build an accepting community; and Work alongside our neighbors to serve the world. He loves preaching, teaching and writing, helping people to connect with their inner, spiritual lives in a busy, distracting world. He is the author of “Breakfast Epiphanies” (Beacon Press, 2002), writes a regular column for “The Good News,” the newspaper for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, and is working on a book on faith after midlife. David is married to Pam, a cookbook author and food blogger who offers a lot of hospitality to the Saint Luke’s family. They have two daughters: Maggy, who lives with her husband Andy in Manhattan; and Sharon, who is a student at Yale Divinity School. And two cats.